Stepwise recycling of valuable metals from Ni-rich cathode material of spent lithium-ion batteries

Improvement of Li and Mn bioleaching from spent lithium-ion batteries, using step-wise addition of biogenic sulfuric acid by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans

Conventional spent lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling procedures, which employ powerful acids and reducing agents, pose environmental risks. This work describes a unique and environmentally acceptable bioleaching method for Li and Mn recovery utilizing Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, a sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that may produce sulfuric acid biologically. The novel feature of this strategy is the step-by-step addition of biogenic sulfuric acid, which differs significantly from conventional methods that use chemical reagents. We expected that gradually introducing biogenic sulfuric acid produced by A. thiooxidans would improve metal leaching at high pulp density. To investigate this, LIBs were disassembled and bioleached with or without a step-wise addition of the biogenic sulfuric acid approach. The impact on leaching efficiency, time, and ultimate product quality was assessed. Direct bioleaching yielded modest Li (43 %) and Mn (15 %) recoveries. However, bioleaching greatly increased metal recovery with the step-wise addition of biogenic acid. Li and Mn leaching efficiency were 93 % and 53 %, respectively, at a high pulp density of 60 g/L, while leaching time was reduced from 16 to 8 days. Following bioleaching, Mn(OH)2 and Li2CO3 were successfully precipitated from the leachate at more than 90 % purity. This study shows that gradually adding biogenic sulfuric acid can efficiently recover Li and Mn from waste LIBs. This approach has several environmental and economic advantages over conventional methods. The step-wise addition optimizes the leaching environment, increasing metal recovery rates while reducing the development of hazardous byproducts. This approach is environmentally friendly because it decreases greenhouse gas emissions and chemical waste. Economically, this technology offers potential cost savings through less chemical usage, shorter processing times, and lower energy needs, making it a more sustainable and cost-effective option for LIB recycling. This study shows that the step-wise addition of biogenic sulfuric acid may efficiently recover Li and Mn from wasted LIBs. This method provides a sustainable alternative to traditional procedures by limiting environmental impact while reducing process time and energy consumption.

High-efficiency leaching process for selective leaching of lithium from spent lithium iron phosphate

With the arrival of the scrapping wave of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, a green and effective solution for recycling these waste batteries is urgently required. Reasonable recycling of spent LiFePO4 (SLFP) batteries is critical for resource recovery and environmental preservation. In this study, mild and efficient, highly selective leaching of lithium from spent lithium iron phosphate was achieved using potassium pyrosulfate (K2S2O7) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as leaching agents. The leaching rates of lithium and iron were 99.83 % and 0.34 %, respectively, at the optimal leaching conditions of 4 vol% 30 wt% H2O2, 0.08 mol/L K2S2O7, 25℃, 5 min, and a solid-liquid ratio of 20 g/L. Meanwhile, the mechanism of the leaching process was explored by thermodynamic, XRD, XPS, FTIR, and SEM analyses. The leaching solution was concentrated and purified, with the addition of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) to convert lithium into lithium carbonate (Li2CO3). A small amount of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is added to the saline wastewater after precipitation, which can be converted into a leaching agent for recycling after heat treatment. This study provides a sustainable green process for the recovery of lithium iron phosphate and a new idea for resource recovery.

An original strategy and evaluation of a reaction mechanism for recovering valuable metals from zinc oxide dust containing intractable germanide

A novel leaching-roasting-leaching strategy was used to recover valuable metals from zinc oxide dust containing intractable germanide. In the ultrasonic enhanced oxidation leaching stage, potassium permanganate and ultrasonication were introduced to strengthen the dissolution of sulphide. During the roasting stage, sodium carbonate and magnesium nitrate were added to promote the reaction between the insoluble tetrahedral germanium dioxide and complex forms of germanium-containing compounds. Simultaneously, the sulphur produced in the ultrasonic enhanced oxidation leaching stage was used to change the phases of tin dioxide and zinc ferrite, thereby releasing germanium into its lattice. Finally, the germanium in the roasting slag was recovered by conventional leaching, and the grades of lead and tin in the residue were enriched to 35.21% and 11.31%, respectively. Compared with the conventional acid leaching process of enterprise, the total reaction time of this method was shortened to 80 min, and the recovery rates of zinc and germanium increased by approximately 10% and 40%, respectively. The entire process is clean and environmentally friendly and does not cause adverse effects on the recovery of lead and tin. Overall, this study provides new insights into the design of valuable metal recovery methods for zinc oxide dust containing intractable germanide.

Designing functional Li2CuO2-coated separators from Cu foil towards spent LiFePO4 cathode regeneration

A chemical-physical investigation proved that the loss of active Li represents the main mechanism of capacity-fading in spent LiFePO4. Given this, functional Li2CuO2-coated separators were fabricated from spent Cu foil and found to contribute to the regeneration of spent LiFePO4 in a full-cell system. This study presents a novel method for cathode/Cu foil recovery.

Synergistic Approach for Selective Leaching and Separation of Strategic Metals from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

Recycling spent Li-ion batteries (LIBs) is paramount to pursuing resource efficiency and environmental sustainability. This study introduces a synergistic approach for selectively leaching and separating strategic metals from waste LIBs, representing a more efficient alternative to traditional single-acid-based leaching methods. The research also thoroughly analyzes diverse extraction parameters, aiming to achieve clean metal separation through synergistic concepts rather than single-phase extraction. The outcome of this study is developing a comprehensive downstream process, advancing the cause of sustainable waste management in the LIB industry. Under specific conditions with 0.6 mol/L total acid content (0.5 mol/L tartaric acid + 0.1 mol/L ascorbic acid), 99.9% cobalt and 100% lithium were effectively leached. The subsequent extraction process achieved a clean separation, with 48.3% of cobalt extracted using a mixture of 0.1 mol/L Alamine-336-Cyanex-272 (A-336-Cy-272) from the leach liquor with no coextraction of lithium, and this efficiency was improved to 67.3% by adjusting the pH from 2.44 to 7.5. However, it is worth noting that increasing the extractant concentration led to an antagonistic effect. To further enhance cobalt enrichment in the organic phase, the McCabe-Thiele plot method was recommended, employing saponified Cy-272. Moreover, the regeneration of saponified Cy-272 was investigated, and the stripped solution was processed with NaOH to form Co(OH)2, subsequently converting it into cobalt oxide (Co3O4) through calcination.

Water as a Sustainable Leaching Agent for the Selective Leaching of Lithium from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

The development of a sustainable recycling process for lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries is an essential step to reduce the environmental impact of batteries. So far, the industrial implementation of a recycling process for lithium has been hindered by low recycling efficiencies and impurities in the recycled material. The aim of this study is thus to develop an easy-to-implement recycling concept for the selective leaching of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries with water as a sustainable leaching reagent. With this highly selective process, the quantity of chemicals used can be substantially decreased. The influence of the leaching temperature, the solid/liquid-ratio, the mixing rate, and the number of stages in multistage operation were investigated utilizing NCM-material. High leaching efficiencies and a high selectivity were achieved at moderate temperatures of 40 °C and a solid/liquid-ratio of 100 g L-1. In multistage operation, a selectivity for lithium higher than 98% was achieved with 57% leaching performance of lithium. XRD-measurements showed that lithium carbonate was quantitatively leached, while lithium metal oxides remained in the black mass. Finally, the leaching kinetics were determined, proving that the first leaching period is diffusion controlled and, in the second period, the leaching rate is rate controlling. This work confirms the concept of a green leaching process by which lithium can be recycled with a high degree of purity.

Natural and recyclable alginate hydrogels as extracting media for recovering valuable metals of spent lithium-ion batteries from a deep eutectic solvent

With the aim of achieving carbon neutrality, new policies to promote electric vehicle (EV) deployment have been announced in various countries. As EV sales gain market-share, the demand for batteries is growing very rapidly, and this has raised concerns about the raw-material supply. Therefore, efficient and environmentally friendly recycling methods for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are mandatory to properly implement circular economy paradigms in this field. Hydrometallurgical recycling methods are characterized by their selectivity, high product purity as well as low energy consumption. In order to accomplish a close-loop recycling method, in this work we propose the use of a deep eutectic solvent (DES) and alginate hydrogels as leaching reagent and adsorbent, respectively, for their reusability, availability and biodegradability. The solubility and thermal stability of a choline chloride-ethylene glycol based DES (choline chloride: ethylene glycol = 1:2) were investigated, 180 °C being regarded as the temperature threshold for this DES, and reaching up to 1.12gCoL-1 solubility after 8 h leaching. Moreover, the DES can be reused after the eutectic state recreation with a performance over 80% with respect to the pristine DES. Calcium cross-linked sodium alginate hydrogels, which were immersed in ethylene glycol and dehydrated afterwards, were able to extract cobalt from the leachate with an efficiency of 92%. The aforementioned hydrogels can be reused after desorption and reach 91% of the performance of the pristine ones. The DES together with alginate hydrogel brings therefore a highly efficient and reusable close-loop recycling method.

Current Trends in Spent Portable Lithium Battery Recycling

This paper provides an overview of the current state of the field in spent portable lithium battery recycling at both the research and industrial scales. The possibilities of spent portable lithium battery processing involving pre-treatment (manual dismantling, discharging, thermal and mechanical-physical pre-treatment), pyrometallurgical processes (smelting, roasting), hydrometallurgical processes (leaching followed by recovery of metals from the leachates) and a combination of the above are described. The main metal-bearing component of interest is the active mass or cathode active material that is released and concentrated by mechanical-physical pre-treatment procedures. The metals of interest contained in the active mass include cobalt, lithium, manganese and nickel. In addition to these metals, aluminum, iron and other non-metallic materials, especially carbon, can also be obtained from the spent portable lithium batteries. The work describes a detailed analysis of the current state of research on spent lithium battery recycling. The paper presents the conditions, procedures, advantages and disadvantages of the techniques being developed. Moreover, a summary of existing industrial plants that are focused on spent lithium battery recycling is included in this paper.

Recover value metals from spent lithium-ion batteries via a combination of in-situ reduction pretreatment and facile acid leaching

The pretreatment of cathode material before leaching is crucial in the spent lithium-ion battery hydro-metallurgical recycling. Here research demonstrates that in-situ reduction pretreatment could dramatically improve the leaching efficiencies for valuable metals from cathodes. Specifically, calcination under 600 °C without oxygen using alkali treated cathode can induce in-situ reduction and collapse of oxygen framework, which is ascribed to the carbon inherently contained in the sample and promote the following efficient leaching without external reductants. The leaching efficiencies of Li, Mn, Co and Ni can remarkably reach 100%, 98.13%, 97.27% and 97.37% respectively. Characterization methods, such as XRD, XPS and SEM-EDS, were employed and revealed that during in-situ reduction, high valence metals such as Ni³⁺, Co³⁺, Mn⁴⁺ can be effectively reduced to lower valence states, conducive to subsequent leaching reactions. Moreover, leaching processes of Ni, Co and Mn fit well with the film diffusion control model, and the reaction barrier is in accordance with the order of Ni, Co and Mn. In comparison, it is observed that Li was leached with higher efficiency regardless of the various pretreatments. Lastly, an integral recovery process has been proposed and economic assessment demonstrates that in-situ reduction pretreatment increases the benefit with a negligible cost increase.

A process using a thermal reduction for producing the battery grade lithium hydroxide from wasted black powder generated by cathode active materials manufacturing

Recent lithium consumption is doubled in a decade due to the Li-ion battery (LIB) demand for electric vehicles, the energy storage system, etc. The LIBs market capacity is expected to be in strong demand due to the political drive by many nations. Wasted black powders (WBP) are generated from the manufacturing of the cathode active material and spent LIBs. The recycling market capacity is also expected to expand rapidly. This study is to propose a thermal reduction technique for recovering Li selectively. The WBP, containing 7.4 % Li, 62.1 % Ni, 4.5 % Co, and 0.3 % Al, was reduced in a vertical tube furnace using a 10 % H₂ gas as a reducing agent at 750 ºC for 1 h, and 94.3 % of Li was recovered from a water leaching, while other metal values, including Ni and Co remained in the residue. A leach solution was treated in a series of crystallisations, filtering, and washing. An intermediate product was produced and re-dissolved in hot water at 80 ºC for 0.5 h to minimise Li₂CO₃ content into a solution. A final solution was crystallised repeatedly to produce the final product. A 99.5 % of LiOH·H₂O was characterised and passed the impurity specification by the manufacturer as a marketable product. The proposed process is relatively simple to utilise to scale up for bulk production, and it can also be contributed to the battery recycling industry as the spent LIBs are expected to overabundance within the near future. A brief cost evaluation confirms the process feasibility, particularly, for the company that produces cathode active material (CAM) and generates WBP in their own supply chain.

Worldwide research on extraction and recovery of cobalt through bibliometric analysis: a review

Cobalt is a strategic and critical mineral whose demand is expected to grow rapidly. This study aims to provide a comprehensive summary of cobalt extraction and recovery research from 2012 to 2021 in the form of bibliometric analysis. The work was based on the Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) and carried out using the InCites of Clarivate for bibliometric data analysis and the software VOSviewer for science mapping. By analyzing a dataset of 4967 publications, the most influential journals, countries, authors, institutions, and publications were identified, and the keyword co-occurrence networks were mapped. The China mainland produced the most publications, while the USA had the highest average number of citations per publication and the UK was the most collaborative with other countries. The keyword analysis shows that the research hotspots gradually shifted over time from early means and methods for determination of cobalt in solution to recovery of cobalt from spent lithium batteries, smelting slag, copper-cobalt ore, etc. The research will be focused on further improvement and optimization of the separation, extraction, and recovery processes of cobalt from spent batteries in recent and future years, and three approaches were promoted to facilitate economization and industrialization of the processes in this field.

A sustainable closed-loop method of selective oxidation leaching and regeneration for lithium iron phosphate cathode materials from spent batteries

A sustainable closed-loop method for recovering waste lithium iron phosphate batteries is developed in this paper. Li⁺ was selectively leached from cathode materials in a system of NaHSO₄ and H₂O₂. Under the optimal conditions of leaching temperature of 65 °C, 1.1 times molar quantity NaHSO₄, 2 vol% H₂O₂, solid-liquid ratio of 100 g/L and leaching time of 15 min, the leaching efficiency of Li can reach 99.84%, while Fe is only 0.048%. Meanwhile, XRD, FTIR, XPS and TEM analysis were carried out to explore the conversion mechanism in the oxidation leaching process of the original raw and leaching products. Li⁺ in the filtrate was precipitated with Na₂CO₃ and converted into Li₂CO₃. The precipitated salty wastewater can be converted into leaching agent for recycling by adding a certain amount of sulfuric acid. The recycled products are used to synthesize LiFePO₄ materials, and regenerated LiFePO₄ materials show good electrochemical properties. The discharge capacity displays 141.3 mAhg^-1 at 1C, with the capacity retention rate of 99.4% after 200 cycles. This study provides a sustainable closed-loop process for recycling and reuse of waste LiFePO₄ batteries, which promotes resource conservation and environmental protection.

Deep eutectic solvent for spent lithium-ion battery recycling: comparison with inorganic acid leaching

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) as novel green solvents are potential options to replace inorganic acids for hydrometallurgy. Compared with inorganic acids, the physicochemical properties of DESs and their applications in recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries were summarized. The viscosity, metal solubility, toxicological properties and biodegradation of DESs depend on the hydrogen bond donor (HBD) and acceptor (HBA). The viscosity of ChCl-based DESs increased according to the HBD in the following order: alcohols < carboxylic acids < sugars < inorganic salts. The strongly coordinating HBDs increased the solubility of metal oxide via surface complexation reactions followed by ligand exchange for chloride in the bulk solvent. Interestingly, the safety and degradability of DESs reported in the literature are superior to those of inorganic acids. Both DESs and inorganic acids have excellent metal leaching efficiencies (>99%). However, the reaction kinetics of DESs are 2-3 orders of magnitude slower than those of inorganic acids. A significant advantage of DESs is that they can be regenerated and recycled multiple times after recovering metals by electrochemical deposition or precipitation. In the future, the development of efficient and selective DESs still requires a lot of attention.

Obtaining and Characterization of Highly Crystalline Recycled Graphites from Different Types of Spent Batteries

Spent batteries recycling is an important way to obtain low-cost graphite. Nevertheless, the obtaining of crystalline graphite with a rather low density of defects is required for many applications. In the present work, high-quality graphites have been obtained from different kinds of spent batteries. Black masses from spent alkaline batteries (batteries black masses, BBM), and lithium-ion batteries from smartphones (smartphone black masses, SBM) and electric and/or hybrid vehicles (lithium-ion black masses, LBM) were used as starting materials. A hydrometallurgical process was then used to obtain recycled graphites by acidic leaching. Different leaching conditions were used depending on the type of the initial black mass. The final solids were characterized by a wide set of complementary techniques. The performance as Li ion batteries anode of the sample with better structural quality was assessed.

A Review on Regenerating Materials from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

Recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted increasing attention for their great significance in environmental protection and cyclic resources utilization. Numerous studies focus on developing technologies for the treatment of spent LIBs. Among them, the regeneration of functional materials from spent LIBs has received great attention due to its short process route and high value-added product. This paper briefly summarizes the current status of spent LIBs recycling and details the existing processes and technologies for preparing various materials from spent LIBs. In addition, the benefits of material preparation from spent LIBs, compared with metals recovery only, are analyzed from both environmental and economic aspects. Lastly, the existing challenges and suggestions for the regeneration process are proposed.

Solvent extraction for recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries

Up to now, solvent extraction not only recycle valuable metals (i.e., Ni, Co, Mn and Li) from the leach liquor of spent cathode materials, but also apply to treat spent electrolyte. This paper summarizes the development of solvent extraction in the field of recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) from the aspects of principle, technology and industrialization. Meanwhile, the paper also comments on the challenges and opportunities for the solvent extraction facing in the recycling of spent LIBs.

Bioleaching metals from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) by Aspergillus niger: a review

In the twenty-first century, the increasing demand for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has caused its quick update and the shortening of its service life span. As a consequence, a large number of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) needs to be processed and recycled. As an environmentally friendly method, biometallurgy has received extensive attention in the disposal of WEEE in recent years. Aspergillus niger is an acid-producing fungus with a potential applicability to improve metals' recycling efficiency. This review article describes the latest statistical status of WEEE and presents the latest progress of various metallurgical methods involved in WEEE recycling for metal recovery. Moreover, based on the summary and comparison towards studies have been reported for bioleaching metals from WEEE by A. niger, the bioleaching mechanisms and the bioleaching methods are explained, as well as the effects of process parameters on the performance of the bioleaching process are also discussed. Some insights and perspectives are provided for A. niger to be applied to industrial processing scale.

Selective extraction and separation of Li, Co and Mn from leach liquor of discarded lithium ion batteries (LIBs)

Novel route has been developed to selectively extract lithium (Li), cobalt (Co) and manganese (Mn) from the leach liquor of discarded lithium ion batteries (LIBs) containing 1.4 g/L Cu, 1.1 g/L Ni, 11.9 g/L Co, 6.9 g/L Mn and 1.2 g/L Li. Initially, Cu and Ni were extracted by solvent extraction techniques using 10% LIX 84-IC at equilibrium (Eq.) pH 3 and 4.6, respectively. Subsequently, precipitation studies were carried out at different conditions such as pH, reaction time, precipitant concentration etc., to optimize the parameters for selective precipitation of Co from the leach liquor. Result showed that 99.2% Co was precipitated from the leach liquor (11.9 g/L Co, 6.9 g/L Mn and 1.2 g/L Li) after extraction of Cu and Ni in a range of pH 2.9 to 3.1 using un-diluted ammonium sulfide solution (10% v/v) as a precipitant at 30 °C, while only 0.89% Mn and 0.62% Li were co-precipitated. After Co precipitation, 98.9% Mn was extracted from the filtrate using 10% D2EHPA at equilibrium pH 4.5, and Li remained in raffinate. From the obtained purified solution, metals could be recovered either in a form of salt/metals by precipitation/ evaporation/ electrolysis method.

A Rapid and Facile Approach for the Recycling of High-Performance LiNi1-x-y Cox Mny O2 Active Materials

The demand for lithium-ion batteries has risen dramatically over the years. Unfortunately, many of the essential component materials, such as cobalt and lithium, are both costly and of limited abundance. For this reason, the recycling of lithium-ion battery electrodes is crucial to ensuring the availability of such resources and protecting the environment. Herein, a simple and scalable recycling process was developed for the prototypical cathode active material Li_1.02 (Ni_0.8 Co_0.1 Mn_0.1 )_0.98 O₂ (NCM-811). By a combination of thermal decomposition and dissolution steps, spent NCM could be converted into Li₂ CO₃ and a transition metal oxalate blend, which served as precursors for new NCM. Importantly, it was also possible to individually separate each transition metal during the recycling process, thereby extending the utility of this method to a wide variety of NCM compositions. Each intermediate in the process was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Additionally, the elemental composition of the recycled NCM-811 was confirmed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The electrochemical performance of the recycled NCM-811 exhibited up to 80 % of the initial capacity of pristine NCM-811. The method presented herein serves as an efficient and environmentally benign alternative to existing recycling methods for lithium-ion battery electrode materials.

High-value utilization of graphite electrodes in spent lithium-ion batteries: From 3D waste graphite to 2D graphene oxide

The graphite electrodes of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have a good crystalline composition and layered structure, and the recovery potential is promising. However, the internal and external surfaces of the waste graphite are often polluted with various organic and inorganic impurities, which seriously restrict its high-value utilization. Herein, the microstructure and surface analysis of waste graphite at variable scales were carried out systematically to reveal the types and occurrence status of impurities and their influence on the preparation of graphene oxide (GO) using a modified Hummers method. The results show that the graphite surface contaminants are polyvinylidene fluoride binder, LiPF₆ electrolyte and LiF residue from the solid electrolyte interface, while residual lithium (Li₂CO₃) and CuO were found to have invaded the crystal structure of graphite. Fortunately, the modified Hummers method can effectively remove these complicated associated impurities and prevent their re-contamination on the GO surface. More importantly, the modified Hummers method can not only destroy the longitudinal molecular bonds between graphite layers, but also splice them horizontally to form 2D GO, which is verified by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) images. This paper provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the high-value utilization of waste graphite in spent LIBs.

Recovery of valuable metals from mixed spent lithium-ion batteries by multi-step directional precipitation

The novel strategy of multi-step directional precipitation is proposed for recovering valuable metals from the leachate of cathode material obtained by mechanical disassembly from mixed spent lithium-ion batteries. Based on thermodynamics and directional precipitation, Mn²⁺ is selectively precipitated under conditions of MRNM (molar ratio of (NH₄)₂S₂O₈ to Mn²⁺) = 3, pH = 5.5 and 80 °C for 90 min. Ni²⁺ was then selectively precipitated using C₄H₈N₂O₂ under conditions of pH = 6, MRCN (molar ratio of C₄H₈N₂O₂ to Ni²⁺) = 2, 30 °C and 20 min. Then, the pH was adjusted to 10 to precipitate Co²⁺ as Co(OH)₂. Finally, Li⁺ was recovered by Na₂CO₃ at 90 °C. The precipitation rates of Mn, Ni, Co, and Li reached 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.2% and 90%, respectively. The precipitation products with high purity can be used as raw materials for industrial production based on characterization. The economical and efficient recovery process can be applied in industrialized large-scale recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Advances and Trends

A review with 132 references. Societal and regulatory pressures are pushing industry towards more sustainable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, while the growing popularity of portable cordless electronic devices continues. These trends necessitate the ability to store large amounts of power efficiently in rechargeable batteries that should also be affordable and long-lasting. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have recently gained renewed interest for their potential low cost and high energy density, potentially over 2600 Wh kg−1. The current review will detail the most recent advances in early 2020. The focus will be on reports published since the last review on Li-S batteries. This review is meant to be helpful for beginners as well as useful for those doing research in the field, and will delineate some of the cutting-edge adaptations of many avenues that are being pursued to improve the performance and safety of Li-S batteries.